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Crockpot Breakfast Casserole is a classic breakfast casserole with sausage, bacon, eggs, potatoes, and veggies. You prep it the night before and it cooks while you sleep. You’ll have a hot breakfast waiting for you when you wake up – I call that a major morning win!
Saute some veggies and add them to a slow cooker with breakfast meats and eggs, then turn it on and go to bed. Crockpot Breakfast Casserole is perfect for the holidays and will easily feed a crowd. Serve it with fresh squeezed orange juice, coffee, and fruit for a simple brunch. For Christmas or Thanksgiving, Cranberry Muffins or Cranberry Orange Scones are the perfect accompaniment.
Be sure to check out all of our incredible breakfast egg recipes, like Baked Egg Muffins, Biscuit Breakfast Casserole and Breakfast Pizza.
Table of Contents
Why We Love It
- This crockpot egg casserole is a very forgiving recipe. The ingredients are completely customizable – switch out the types of peppers, swap out the types of breakfast meats or eliminate them completely.
- Simple ingredients that come together with minimal effort. Plus it tastes great!
- Fix it and forget it – your breakfast is ready when you need it.
- No prepping or cooking in the morning, which is especially great for Christmas morning.
Ingredients for a Breakfast Casserole
- Eggs and milk – The most important part of the recipe is having the ideal egg/milk ratio. (12 eggs to ½ cup milk). Too little and the casserole will turn out tough, too much and it will get super smooshy and tend to over brown on the sides.
- Sour cream – adds an additional fat element and a nice tang, and helps with the creamy texture.
- Veggies – I used two colors of peppers and an onion for color, texture and flavor. You can use any type of pepper and any type of onion, or even add some mushrooms or diced green chiles.
- Meats – I used both breakfast sausage and bacon. both should be fully cooked before adding them to the crockpot. Do yourself a favor and buy the cooked and crumbled sausage and already cooked bacon for less mess and quick prep. Or use fully cooked ham.
- Potatoes – I used diced hash brown potatoes, but you could also use shredded hash browns. I do recommend just purchasing a bag of pre-shredded/diced. They don’t have a bunch of extra ingredients and will save you a ton of time. If frozen, thaw them in the fridge first.
- Cheese – I like to add some fresh shredded cheddar cheese to the top about an hour or so before serving. Use a little freshly grated sharp cheddar or colby jack cheese. I like a combo of both.
- Salt and pepper – I kept the seasonings simple with just a teaspoon salt and a ½ teaspoon black pepper. You could add some garlic powder or dry mustard if you like, but anything more might over-powder the casserole.
How to Make a Crockpot Breakfast Casserole
Whisk the eggs, milk, sour cream together with some salt and pepper.
Cook the peppers and onions in a large skillet until tender.
Spray a 6 quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.
Layer half of the hash browns, bacon, sausage, veggies, and cheese. Pour half of the egg mixture on top, then layer with the remaining ingredients. Finish with the rest of the egg mixture and more cheese.
Cover and cook until the eggs are set; about 6-8 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high (great for breakfast for dinner). Top with extra fresh cheese when there’s about an hour left, if desired.
Toppings Suggestions
I like to serve with a variety of toppings so everyone can add what they like.
- Sour cream
- Fresh herbs (chives, parsley)
- Sliced green onions
- Salsa
- Fresh diced tomatoes
- Avocado
How to Serve
Since this is a pretty hearty meal on its own, it doesn’t need a bunch of sides. Keep it simple with some Air Fryer French Toast Sticks, Muffins, or Glazed Donuts. Throw in a Mimosa for a holiday breakfast.
If you’re serving as part of a brunch, you may want to consider serving more than one egg dish, like Classic Deviled Eggs or simple scrambled eggs.
FAQs
You can freeze a cooked breakfast casserole for up to 2 months. Cool the casserole completely, then store in an airtight, freezer-safe container or bag. To reheat, thaw completely in the refrigerator, then heat in the microwave or oven (350°F) until heated through.
This recipe makes a generous amount to feed at least 8 people and should be cooked in a 6-quart slow cooker. If you cut the recipe in half, a 3-4 quart slow cooker will work.
You can tell when an egg casserole is done because the eggs will be set (not jiggly) and no longer appear wet. You can also test with a digital meat thermometer – for food safety, the temperature of cooked eggs should be at least 160°F.
Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave or a large portion in the oven until heated through.
Expert Tips
- Save time and use pre-cooked crumbled sausage or make your own fresh.
- For the bacon, you can buy pre-cooked (I love the Kirkland brand at Costco), or make your own in a skillet, air fryer, or in the oven.
- You can use frozen hashbrowns if you prefer, just be sure to thaw them completely.
- The shape of the potatoes is a matter of preference (shredded hash browns or diced), as long as they are thawed before being placed in the crockpot the casserole will finish at the same cooking temp and time.
- This recipe can be made the day before, then placed on the warm setting for an hour before serving. Alternatively, you can use the timer settings on your crockpot to time it for serving time.
More Breakfast Recipes You’ll Love
- Breakfast Quesadillas
- Easy Breakfast Potatoes
- Chocolate Chip Pancakes
- Strawberry Doughnuts
- Light and Fluffy Homemade Waffles
- Copycat Cracker Barrel Hashbrown Casserole
Slow Cooker Breakfast Casserole
Ingredients
- 12 eggs
- ½ cup milk
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup onion diced
- 1 cup bell pepper, any color diced
- 1 pound bacon cooked and chopped
- 1 cup cooked crumbled breakfast sausage
- 1 pound refrigerated hash browns if frozen, thaw first.
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- Optional: fresh parsley, chives, or green onion for garnish
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until light and frothy. Add the milk, sour cream, salt and pepper and mix until well incorporated. Set aside.
- In a medium skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and peppers to the skillet and cook until tender. Set aside.
- Prepare a 6 quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Place half of the hashbrowns in the bottom of the crockpot.
- Top the hashbrowns with half of the bacon, ½ cup of the sausage, ½ cup of the vegetables and 1 cup of the cheese.
- Pour half of the egg mixture on top.
- Add the remaining hash browns, bacon, sausage and vegetables.
- Pour in the remaining egg mixture and top with cheese.
- Cover and cook on high for about 4-5 hours or low for 6-8 hours.
- Serve topped with extra sour cream and fresh herbs if desired.
Notes
- The shape of the potatoes is a matter of preference (shredded hash browns or diced), as long as they are thawed before being placed in the crockpot the casserole will finish at the same cooking temp and time.
- Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave or in the oven until heated through.
- You can freeze a cooked breakfast casserole for up to 2 months. Cool the casserole completely, then store in an airtight, freezer safe container or bag. To reheat, thaw completely in the refrigerator, then heat in the microwave or oven (350℉) until heated through.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
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Can I add spinach to this slow cooker breakfast casserole?
Sure! I haven’t tried it myself but you could definitely add some spinach.
Can I used regular diced potatoes, uncooked? Or do they need to be cooked ahead of time?
I would recommend that the potatoes be cooked first. The crockpot may not cook them evenly, or fully, in the same amount of time it takes for the rest of the dish to cook.
Do you cook the sausage and bacon?
Yes, they are fully cooked when adding to the crock pot.
Can this be prepared the night before and baked in a 9×13 pan, the next morning, instead of a crockpot?
Hi Lisa! This recipe could probably be converted to a baking dish, but I haven’t tested it that way. I do have other baked breakfast casseroles that you might want to try: Breakfast Casseroles.
I would like to cut this recipe in half. Do you think that is possible? And if so, what changes do you think I would need to make in the ingredients and time? Thanks in advance for your help.
You can cut the recipe in half; I would recommend using a 4-quart slow cooker though, because it may not fill up a 6-quart enough. I haven’t personally tried this, so do so with caution.
Can you double the recipe? Or will it not cook as well or too big got it crock pot?
Hi Elisha, It would be difficult to double since it was made in a 6-quart crockpot. It wouldn’t cook through in the same amount of time and would possible not even fit. My advice would be to make one ahead of time, refrigerate or freeze it, and then make another the day you need it. Or, if you can borrow a second slow cooker, that would be the best solution.
This looks perfect for our annual lake association meeting/brunch coming up next Saturday. Last year everyone brought baked goods and we were all looking around for something a little heartier. So this year, I’m making this. It sounds delicious. Can’t wait to make it.
Thank you Joan! We would love to hear back with some feedback about this recipe when you have time. Thanks for stopping by.
This sounds delicious and something that will be used often. Thank you for sharing.
You are so welcome Shirley! Thanks for stopping by.
Sounds yummy – could i use grits instead of potatoes?
Grits are a completely different thing, made from corn, so they would be a different consistency and wouldn’t work with this recipe.
I don’t see cheese listed in the ingredients? But it looks like it has cheese and the directions talk about cheese.
Hi Angela, It’s 2 cups of shredded cheese, divided. You can use more or less if you like.